In vivo fate mapping identifies pre-TCRα expression as an intra- and extrathymic, but not prethymic, marker of T lymphopoiesis.

ABSTRACT: Expression of the pre-T cell receptor α (pTα) gene has been exploited in previous studies as a molecular marker to identify tiny cell populations in bone marrow (BM) and blood that were suggested to contain physiologically relevant thymus settling progenitors (TSPs). But to what extent these cells genuinely contribute to thymopoiesis has remained obscure. We have generated a novel pTα(iCre) knockin mouse line and performed lineage-tracing experiments to precisely quantitate the contribution of pTα-expressing progenitors to distinct differentiation pathways and to the genealogy of mature hematopoietic cells under physiological in vivo conditions. Using these mice in combination with fluorescent reporter strains, we observe highly consistent labeling patterns that identify pTα expression as

SUBMITTER: Luche H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3620354 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature